Tell us something to cheer us up!

12 March 2026, The Tablet

Chris Patten, seen at The Oldie literary lunch last year, is looking on the bright side of life

Alamy, Neil Spence

Apparently more than 4 per cent of the British population is more than 80 years old. This is the fastest-growing demographic group in the country – a characteristic that we share with other prosperous societies. 

It is not therefore surprising that so many books are written about ageing. Some of these tell you how you can best continue to be healthy and fit despite the passing of the years. Some look forward to where this is all going to lead – the funeral parlour and the cemetery.

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